Raincoat



RAINCOAT Filed Oct. 50, 1929 INVENTOR CHARLES H. PLACE ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 9, 1930 CHARLES'H. PLACE, on NEW. ROCHELLE, NEW YORK moon 3 Application filed octoberao, 1929. Serial 110. 403,490.

This invention relates to improvements raincoats made of rubberized or other rainproof material, the main object being to provide a garment so ventilated as to prevent the i5 condensation of body perspiration upon the inner surface of the coat, particularly the back portion thereof. Another object of this invention is to accomplish the above-result without in any way exposing thebodyof the wearer to rain andthereby impairing the effectiveness and utility of the raincoat. A further object. is to provide means to keep a garment of this class in proper shapeand form, and particularly to prevent the sagging of the back of the coat. Another object of this invention is to provide reinforcing Ineansto reduce the strain in the coat fabric and increase its life. Other objects and ads vantages will appear from. the description hereinafter given.

It is well known that just as a raincoat prevents the infiltration of rain through its water-proof fabric,so does it prevent the passage of body moisture or perspiration therethrough. The result is that this body moisture condenses on the inner surface of the coat due to the temperature difference on either side of the fabric,so that an accumulation of such moisture makes it extremly uncomfortable for the wearer. This is more particularly true of the back of the garment than the front, in view of the fact that the coat is open in front and thus permits the circulation of air to carry out the moisture in the form of vapor, and reduce the temperature difference between the Outside and inside of the front portion of the raincoat. The

backs of raincoats are therefore frequently rovided with openings therein, covered by aps, the object'being to provide proper ventilation. I

The usual design, however, is frequently inadequate, as the opening often becomes sealed due to the adhesion of the flap to the back of the coat, either on account of the presence of a film of moisture, or for some other cause. My invention aims to overcome this defect by providing, in addition to the outer flap or yoke, an inner yoke made of absorbent material, so as to absorb a good part of the body moisture. This inner yoke is shaped to fit the shoulder blades, and is so formed that it will tend to cling to the back of the wearer, thereby providing an I ever-present air space between the inner yoke and the inner surfaceof the back of the rain-- coat; The air in-this space-receives periodic impulses due to the movement of the body of the wearer while walking, and these impulses are transmitted to the outer yoke which is thereby kept separated from the back portion of the garment, and the opening thus- .kept'constantly free and unsealed. This'results in a continuous circulation of air, and permits that portion of the body moisture that was not absorbed by the inner yoke to pass out into the atmosphere, and in this way keep the inside of the coat free from moisture. There are many raincoats on the market having a ventilation opening extending across the entire back of the coat. When such an opening is not provided with satisfactory intermediate supports along the entire width of thesaid opening there is generally an unsightly sagging of the back of the coat. In my invention, the outer ventilating yoke is secured to the back of the garment by a series of spaced supports. This construction not only preventssagging, but also prevents the infiltration of rain through the opening underneath the said outeryoke. These sup- "ports' are providedwith properly cemented stays adapted to take up the strain due to the applied stresses or pulls, thereby reinforcing the fabric at theareas of support.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a back view of the raincoat, showing the outer yoke secured to the back of the coat by a series. of spaced stays; and also showing the inner yoke of absorbent material.

Fig. 2 is a section of Fig. 1 along line 22 showing the ventilating opening and the rel ative position of the inner and outer yokes.

Fig. 3 is a section of Fig. 1 along line 38, showing how the outer yoke is securedto the outer surface of the back of the coat.

Fig. 4-. is a fragmentary sectional plan of Fig. 2 along line 4-4 showing the relative position of the inner yoke to the back of the wearer and the back of the coat.

In the drawings the outer yoke 1 is attached to the back portion 2 of the coat by the supporting stays 8, 4, 5, 6, and 7. These stays can be made of canvas, and they are each cemented on to the inner surface of the yoke 1 and the outer surface of the back 2.

The inner yoke 8 is made of absorbent material, thelo-wer edge thereof containing an upward recession 9 at the middle point where the two convex curves 10 and 11 comprising said lower edge meet. his yoke 8 is of less width across the back than either the yoke 1 or back 2 of he coat, so that an air pocket 12 is formed between the two said yokcs. The ventilation ducts 13, 1 1,15 and 16, are formed by tile above referred to stays; and the air space 1'? is formed by the yoke 8 and the back 2 of the coat.

The position of the urves 10 and 11 below the shoulder blades of the wearer, the convex forms of these curves, and the upward recession 9 positioned at the depression in the wearers back between the protruding shoulder blades, all tend to cause the yoke 8 to ht snugly around the shoulder blades, and to cling to the back of the wearer. This hecomes evident when it is considered that an air pocket would be formed in the hollow the back between the shoulder blades if the bottom of the yoke 8 were to extend straight across the back instead of having the recession 9 therein, as the material that would fill in the space formed by the said recession would hang loosely in folds between the shoulder blades and permit the air between the back 2 and the wearer to more readily enter the space between the yoke 8 and the wearer and thus prevent a snug fit. As the back 2 of the coat fits rather loosely, the air pocket 12 and the air space 17 will always be present,a condition which is further assured by the fact that the yoke 8 is narrower across the back than either yoke 1 or back 2 as aforesaid.

Although the yoke 8 is made of absorbent material, some of the body moisture may filter through its texture into the air pocket 12 or air space 17. As the coat is generally long and fits rather loosely at the bottom 18, the movement of the body while the wearer is walking will cause some corresponding movement of the coat along the entire length of the back 2. A bellows effect will thus be created, actuating the air between the body and the coat, and causing periodic compression impulses. These impulses are transmitted to the entire inner surface of yoke 1,

causing the free portions thereof to move outward and away from the back portion 2 f the coat. Thus the ventilation ducts 18, 14:, 15 and 16 are continually kept open, permitting the circulation of air therethrough. The temperature difierence between the inside and outside of the coat is thus reduced, so that what little vapor passes through the inner yoke 8 will not condense uponthe inner surface of the coat, but will pass out into the atmosphere.

If the raincoat were provided with a. ventilation opening of just one continuous length along the entire width of the coat, without any intermediate supports, such as the stays 8, 1, 5, 6, and 7, the entire back portion 2 of the coat would sag and present adistorted appearance. The sag might, in some cases, be reat enough to cause a suilicient lowering of the upper edge 19 of back portion 2 to permit water to leak through the said ventilation opening, and thus impair the eflectiveness of the raincoat. By the series of stays 3, 4-, 5, 6 and 7, spaced along the entire Width of the back of the coat, a sagging as above described is prevented, thereby insuring a well-shaped coat, with air vents secured against leakage.

In the event a force is exerted upon the garment so as to tend to separate the outer yoke from the back of the coat, as indicated by the arrowsin Fig. 8, part of the strain induced by this force will be taken up by the stay 4:. In this way the danger of tearing the body of the coat due to the application of such a force is considerably lessened, thereby lengthening the life of the garment.

The drawings and description herein refer to but one of several diiferent forms in which my invention may be embodied.

What I claim is A raincoat comprising, in combination, an outer yoke, an inner yoke of moisture absorbing material, both yokes being joined at the shoulder; a back portion the upper edge of which extends transversely across the back of the wearer and is removed. from. and positioned below the shoulder; the lower edge of both of said yokes extending below said up per edge; the said outer yoke being so secured to said back portion as to form a plurality of openings leading from the region inside the coat to the outside atmosphere; the said inner yoke being of less width than the adjacent part of said back portion so as to CHARLES H. PLACE.

form an air space between said inner yoke and T5 5 

